Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan | Ecoregions | WWF x Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas and shrublands Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Sudan During extended arid periods the Horn of Africa was linked to other deserts across the world, stretching down to the Namib and Kalahari in the south, reaching to the Sahara in the west, and through to the Middle East and Central Asia. A combination of African, Mediterranean, Asiatic and ancient Gondwanan influences have shaped the flora and fauna found in this ecoregion. The resulting biota contains many arid-adapted species, including a rich large mammal fauna with species such as the dibitag (Ammodorcas clarkei), beira (Dorcatragus megalotis), African wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis), and hirola (Damaliscus hunteri). However, this area has long been inhabited, and political and military strife in the region has increased pressure on wildlife and the environment, and continues to prevent conservation work.

Scientific Code Location and General Description This ecoregion occupies the majority of the Horn of Africa to the east of the Ethiopian highlands, including the Ogaden Desert and northeast Kenyan semi-deserts. A narrow corridor of the ecoregion penetrates the floor of the Ethiopian section of the Rift Valley, separating the northern and southern Ethiopian highlands, and a finger extends north to the Eritrean/Sudanese border. The ecoregion is mainly flat and low-lying (over half lies below 500 m) rising towards the west and north. However, it is defined more by rainfall and vegetation type than by altitude, and thus extends from sea level on the coast of Somalia to over 1,500 m in the Rift Valley and Sidamo region of southern Ethiopia. The mean maximum temperatures are around 30°C, and the mean minimum temperatures are 15° to 18°C. Annual rainfall varies from below 100 mm in the Ogaden Desert to around 600 mm in areas bordering the Ethiopian highlands.

There are only three permanent rivers of any significance: the Awash, Wabi Shebele and Jubba, all of which originate in the Ethiopian highlands. The area is underlain by post-Cretaceous rocks which are mainly marine in origin, over which soils indicative of high aridity - xerosols and yermosols - have developed. The Somali hinterland, or Haud, is characterized by deep, infertile sands. Pre-Cambrian granites form inselbergs, or ‘burs’, in southern Somalia. The ecoregion is sparsely populated, with typical densities of less than 20 persons per km2. In the heart of the Ogaden Desert and some of the other significantly dry regions of the former Somalia and eastern Ethiopia there are no permanent inhabitants. Phytogeographically, the ecoregion lies within the bushland and thicket of the Somali-Masai regional center of endemism, and Somali-Masai semi-desert grassland and shrubland (White 1983). The most common tree species belong to the deciduous genera Acacia and Commiphora.

The understory consists of shrubby herbs less than one meter high, such as Acalypha, Barleria and Aerva. At lower elevations where rainfall is less consistent, vegetation becomes semi-desert scrubland. Acacia and Commiphora are joined by Euphorbia and Aloe, as well as grass species such as Dactyloctenium aegyptium and Panicum turgidum (Tilahun et al. 1996). Important evergreens include Boscia, Dobera, Salvadora, Grewia and Cadaba. Crotalaria and Indigofera are also found. The uniform appearance of this vegetation hides considerable variation in floristic composition. Forest vegetation once surrounded the bases of the inselbergs and lined permanent watercourses, but has largely been destroyed by human activity (Friis 1992). Biodiversity Features Because this ecoregion is such an ancient and stable habitat, a high number of arid-adapted species are found here, many of them endemic.

There are 1,250 plants recorded from the Somalia-Masai phytochorion (White 1983), but it is not known how many of them are endemic. There are also a large number of endemic reptiles, with 33 species believed to be confined to this ecoregion, and a further c. 20 near-endemics also found in the surrounding lowland ecoregions of the Horn of Africa. The Horn of Africa is a notable center of endemism for mammals, particularly for antelopes such as the dibatag (Ammodorcas clarkei, VU), beira (Dorcatragus megalotis, VU), hirola (Damaliscus hunteri, CR) and Speke's gazelle (Gazella spekei, VU). There are also a number of smaller mammals including four Gerbillus species, one Microdillus species, one white-toothed shrew (Crocidura greenwoodi, VU), and the walo (Ammodillus imbellis, VU), a gerbil known only from Somalia.

The Somali warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus delamerei, VU) is also near endemic to this ecoregion. Between 400 and 1,000 hirola (Damaliscus hunteri, CR) live in the vicinity of Bura east of the Tana River in Kenya. The dibitag (Ammodorcas clarkei, VU) is found only in Somalia and eastern Ethiopia. Widely distributed but threatened ungulate species include dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas, VU) and Soemmering's gazelle (Gazella soemmeringi, VU). In the north of Ethiopia a small population of African wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis, CR) inhabits the Yangudi Rassa National Park and a herd of Grevy's zebra (Equus grevyi, EN) occurs in the Alledeghi Game Reserve.

Small numbers of the formerly widespread but now endangered subspecies Swayne's hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus swaynei, EN) inhabit the Senkelle Wildlife Sanctuary and Nechisar National Park in Ethiopia's Rift Valley. The beisa oryx (Oryx gazella beisa) was formerly widespread throughout Somalia. Excessive hunting had exterminated this antelope over much of its Somalian range by the 1980s but it is still distributed over a wide range in Ethiopia, the largest population found in the Awash Valley north of the Awash N.P. The gerenuk (Litocranius walleri) also occurs and has a wider distribution, extending further south into Kenya (Stuart and Stuart 1996). The greater and lesser kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros, Timberbis) can be found in areas of Acacia-Commiphora woodland in the Ethiopian section of this ecoregion. Sizable populations of the lesser kudu are found in Ethiopian protected areas such as Awash, Omo and Mago National Parks.

The greater kudu’s distribution within Ethiopia is patchier, but significant populations can be found in hilly areas in Nechisar, Omo and Mago N.P.s (East 1999). Elephants (Loxodonta africana, EN) and buffalo (Syncerus caffer) were previously widespread in the wetter portions of this ecoregion. Elephant populations are decreasing, with limited numbers found in protected areas. The Babile Elephant Reserve in Ethiopia was established to protect the only known population of the isolated, ecologically distinct subspecies Loxodonta africana orleansi (Barnes et al. 1999). This subspecies was once also found in the Somali Alifuuto (Arbowerow) Nature Reserve but no recent information is available (World Bank 1993). Lion (Panthera leo, VU), leopard (Pathera pardus, EN), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus, VU), and striped and spotted hyaenas (Hyaena hyaena and Crocuta crocuta) are the main large carnivores in this ecoregion.

The endangered wild dog (Lycaon pictus) is also found in the Ethiopian section of this ecoregion, most commonly in Mago and Omo N.P.s (Woodroffe et al. 1997). Most of the endemic species of animal and plant are associated with dry habitats, but the riverine habitats along the Jubba and Wabi Shebele support two strictly endemic birds, the Degodi lark (Mirafra degodiensis, VU) and the Bulo Burti bush-shrike (Laniarius liberatus, CR), qualifying as an Endemic Bird Area (Stattersfield et al. 1998).

The Abyssinian yellow-rumped seedeater (Serinus xanthopygius), the short-billed crombec (Sylvietta philippae, DD), and Sidamo bushlark (Heteromirafra sidamoensis, VU) are all restricted to this ecoregion as well, while the sombre chat (Cercomela dubia, DD), white-winged collared-dove (Streptopelia reichenowi), Salvadori’s weaver (Ploceus dicrocephalus), and the scaly babbler (Turdoides squamulatus) are considered near-endemic. Current Status The habitats of the ecoregion are mainly dry woodlands and scrub, with a gradation to grasslands and deserts in the driest places. Most of these areas remain unfragmented and intact, as the human population is low and agriculture is concentrated along watercourses and close to the coastline. This ecoregion has been severely affected by political instability and war over the past few decades. Large mammal populations have been depleted throughout the ecoregion, especially in Somalia where there has been no federal government since 1991.

Stable government will need to return to Somalia before large-scale conservation work can occur in the Somalian portion of this ecoregion. The Ethiopian portion is currently stable but conflicts between protected areas and people continue. The endemic, desert-adapted large mammals and the restricted range birds are priority species for conservation efforts. There are several protected areas in this ecoregion, many of which harbor the last remaining populations of desert-dwelling ungulates. However, these parks are generally not well protected, managed, or funded, making them "paper parks" rather than effective sites for conservation. Protected areas in Ethiopia include Yangudi Rassa, Nechisar, Awash, Omo, and Mago National Parks, as well as Chew Bahr Wildlife Reserve and Babile Elephant Sanctuary. In Kenya, the Malka Mari National Park falls within this ecoregion and in Somalia, the Alifuuto (Arbowerow) Nature Reserve is found here, although there is no recent information about the status of this site. Types and Severity of Threats Habitats have become degraded in many places through grazing by livestock and fuelwood collection, particularly close to villages and towns.

This overuse may be accelerated in areas where irrigation schemes have been launched (e.g. around Lake Ziway in Ethiopia). In Ethiopia, recent agricultural schemes have denuded the landscape in the Gode plain along the Wabi Shebele River and in the Awash Valley in the Afar region. These large, mechanized farms use pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and have continued their activities largely unmonitored. Infrastructure for harvesting natural gas is being developed in the region of Ethiopia closest to the Somali border (Tilahun et al. 1996). Protected areas are also degraded by human use, including national parks that are well-established. Recent reports indicate that more people are moving into Mago, Omo and Nechisar National Parks, with serious effects on the vegetation and wildlife. Negotiations are underway with stakeholders in an effort to resettle people living within park boundaries. Throughout this ecoregion, riverine vegetation is often extremely degraded. Some economically important species, such as the yeheb nut (Cordeauxia edulis) may be declining due to overgrazing. There has been a long history of human habitation in the Horn of Africa.

However, droughts dramatically decrease livestock numbers and allow native vegetation to recover. Native plants and animals are also adversely affected by drought, but not as severely as livestock (Kingdon 1989). Populations of most endemic and near endemic large mammals have declined dramatically and are fragmented due to illegal hunting following decades of political instability and open warfare over large parts of the region. Conflict with farmers is a serious threat to the dwindling elephant population (Barnes et al. 1999). Better management of existing protected areas and improved law enforcement are the main conservation requirements. If stable government ever returns to parts of Somalia, it will be imperative to support the authorities to re-establish protected areas and to try and safeguard the remaining populations of large mammals. Regional conservation planning should be encouraged but will obviously be difficult to achieve. Relations between Ethiopia and the former Somalia have been strained since the two countries fought over the Ogaden Desert in the late 1970s; Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a border war as recently as the late 1990s; and there is politically-motivated instability in the border regions between Kenya and Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, and Eritrea and Sudan.

Justification of Ecoregion Delineation This ecoregion follows the northeastern part of the ‘Somali-Masai Acacia-Commiphora bushland and thicket’ vegetation unit of White (1983). This was separated from similar communities to the south based on different bioclimatic patterns and floral and faunal compositions in the Horn of Africa. The northern portion of this ecoregion subsumes large portions of White’s ‘Somalia-Masai semi-desert grassland and shrubland.’ It is bound on the west by the Omo River, and to the south by the Guiba and Tana Rivers and inland areas of sandy and rocky plateau. These areas reflect the southern extent of some species like the dibitag (Ammordorcas clarckei), and the northern extent of others, such as the common eland (Taurotragus oryx), Bohor reedbuck (Redunca redunca) and Burchell’s zebra (Equus burchelli). The ecoregion is noted for high levels of endemism in mammals, reptiles, and birds.

Kingdon (1989) identifies the Horn as a regional center of endemism. References Barnes, R.F.W., G. C. Craig, H.T. Dublin, G. Overton, W. Simons, and C.R. Thouless. 1999. African Elephant Database 1998. IUCN/SSC African Elephant Specialist Group. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. East, R. (comp.) 1999. African Antelope Database 1998. IUCN/SSC Antelope Specialist Group. ICN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. Friis, I. 1992. Forests and Forest Trees of Northeast Tropical Africa. Kew Botanical Gardens, Bulletin Additional Series XV. HMSO, London, UK.. Kingdon, J. 1989. Island Africa: The evolution of Africa’s rare animals and plants. Princeton University Press. Princeton, NJ, USA. Stattersfield, A. J., M. J. Crosby, A. J. Long, and D. C. Wedge. 1998.

Endemic Bird Areas of the World. Priorities for biodiversity conservation. BirdLife Conservation Series No. 7. BirdLife International, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Stuart, C., and T. Stuart. 1996. Africa’s Vanishing Wildlife. Smithsonian Institution Press. Washington, DC, USA.. Tilahun, S., S. Edwards, and T.B.G. Egziabher. editors. 1996. Important Bird Areas of Ethiopia. Published by Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society. Semayata Press. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. White, F. 1983. The vegetation of Africa, a descriptive memoir to accompany the UNESCO/AETFAT/UNSO Vegetation Map of Africa (3 Plates, Northwestern Africa, Northeastern Africa, and Southern Africa, 1:5,000,000). UNESCO, Paris. World Bank. 1993. Ecologically sensitive sites in Africa. Volume II: Eastern Africa. Compiled by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre for The World Bank, Washington DC, USA. Woodroffe, R., J. R. Ginsberg, D. W.

Macdonald, and the IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group. 1997. The African wild dog – Status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland. Prepared by: Chris Magin, Miranda Mockrin Reviewed by: In progress Our beautiful World: Antelopes and Gazelles - Antiloper og gaseller Antelopes and Gazelles Kudu,Oryx Antelopes and gazelles As seen from the following frames, this is not just a few animals, but more than 150 different species, and then you have all the sub-species. It has not been easy to decide how to display all those. As you see in the frame Family Bovidae, the antelopes and gazellas has been split into 10 subfamilies, and those underlined have links to their own separate pages. The Subfamily Antilopinae, the true antelopes are displayed on this page, and on the page with Gazellas . These two pages may change when we see how it is best to split the animals. This depends on what we can find of information and pictures..

Family Bovidae Subfamily Bovinae : cattle, buffaloes and spiral-horned antelopes, 27 species in 10 genera Kudu, Eland, Nyala and Bongo.

Subfamily Cephalophinae : duikers, 21 species in 2 genera Subfamily Hippotraginae : grazing antelopes, 7 species in 3 genera Oryx,Sable, Gaisa Subfamily Antilopinae: gazelles, dwarf antelopes and the saiga, 34 species in 13 genera Subfamily Caprinae: goat-antelopes: sheep, goats, muskox, takin etc., 33 species in 10 genera Subfamily Reduncinae : reedbucks, lechwe, 9 species in 2 genera Subfamily Aepycerotinae : impala, 1 species in 1 genus Subfamily Peleinae: rhebok, 1 species in 1 genus Subfamily Pantholopinae: Tibetan antelope, 1 species in 1 genus Subfamily Alcelaphinae : wildebeest, topi/tsessebe, 10 species in 4 genera Subfamily Alcelaphinae The subfamily Alcelaphinae, from the family Bovidae, contains Wildebeest , Hartebeest , Bonteboks and

 several similar species.

All in all it contains 10 species in 4 genera, although Beatragus is sometimes considered a subgenus of Damaliscus, and Sigmoceros for the Lichtenstein's Hartebeest. Subfamily Antilopinae (Antelopes) The gazelles, blackbucks, springboks, gerenuks, dibatags and Central Asian gazelles are often referred to as "True Antelopes" and are usually the sole representatives of the Antilopinae. "True Antelopes" occur in much of Africa and Asia with the highest concentration of species occurring in East Africa in Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. The saigas and Tibetan antelopes are related to "True Antelopes" (Antilopinae) and goats (Caprinae), but often placed in their own subfamily, Saiginae. These animals inhabit much of Central and Western Asia. The dwarf antelopes are sometimes placed in a separate subfamily, Neotraginae , and live entirely in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Tribe Antilopini Eastern Chad red-fronted gazelle, Gazella rufifrons centralis North Nigeria Red-fronted gazelle, Gazella rufifrons hasleri Kanuri Red-fronted Gazelle, Gazella rufifrons kanuri Nubian Red-fronted gazelle, Gazella rufifrons laevipes Senegal Red-fronted gazelle, Gazella rufifrons rufifrons Thomson's Gazelle , Eudorcas thomsoni, Gazella thomsoni Heuglin's Gazelle Eudorcas tilonura Chinkara or Indian Gazelle Gazella benettii Queen of Sheba's Gazelle Gazella bilkis  Dorcas Gazelle Gazella dorcas Rhim Gazelle or Slender-horned Gazelle Gazella leptoceros Goitered Gazelle Gazella subgutturosa Southern Gerenuk Litocranius walleri walleri Northern Gerenuk Litocranius walleri sclateri Genus Nanger Bright's Gazelle, Nanger granti brighti Southern Grant's Gazelle, Nanger granti granti Northern Grant's Gazelle, Nanger granti lacuum Peter's Gazelle, N

anger granti petersi Robert's Gazelle, Nanger granti robertsi Soemmerring's Gazelle Nanger soemmerringii Genus Pantholops (Sometimes classified in Caprinae) Tibetan Antelope Pantholops hodgsonii Bates's Pygmy Antelope Neotragus batesi Suni Neotragus moschatus Ourebia ourebi gallarum (Central Ethiopia) Ourebia ourebi goslingi (North Zaire) Ourebia ourebi haggardi (Northern Kenya) Ourebia ourebi hastata (Zaire, Malawi, Zimbabwe) Ourebia ourebi kenyae (Kenya) Ourebia ourebi montana (Sudan to west Ethiopia) Ourebia ourebi ourebi (South Africa) Ourebia ourebi quadriscopa (Senegal to Nigeria) Ourebia ourebi rutila (Angola) Cape Grysbok Raphicerus melanotis Sharpe's Grysbok Raphicerus sharpei Oribi (Ourebia ourebi, known as Oorbietjie in Afrikaans) are graceful slender-legged, long

-necked small antelope found in grassland almost throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Two of these subspecies are listed on the IUCN Red List: Haggard's oribi (Ourebia ourebi haggardi) is classified as Vulnerable (Vu C1) and the Kenya Oribi (Ourebia ourebi kenyae) is classified as Extinct (EX). Photographer: unknown. Source: Dibatag has disappeared from substantial parts of its former range, e.g., northern Ogaden where human and livestock numbers are now high and it is under heavy pressure in Somalia. The overall decline in range andnumbers due to hunting and habitat degradation is estimated to have exceeded 30% over three generations (21 years, 1985 to 2006). However, numbers are currently cautiously estimated to exceed the threshold of 2,500 mature individuals that would be necessary to qualify for a listing as EN under criterion C (Wilhelmi et al. 2006) but may be close to meeting this. In Ethiopia, dibatag formerly occurred widely in the vast plains of the Ogaden region in the eastern lowlands.

The Ogaden is a plateau, with an elevation above sea level that ranges from 1,500 meters in the northwest, falling to about 300 meters along the southern limits and the Wabi Shebelle valley. Shaded relief map of Ethiopia, cropped and centered on the Ogaden area Source: An extensive ground survey revealed that the dibatag is now rare or absent in the northern Ogaden but still occurs locally within a reasonably large area in the southern Ogaden, where it appears to be quite common in some localities (Wilhelmi 1997). In contrast to the northern Ogaden, which has a relatively high density of settlements and concentrations of armed pastoralists and their herds, the southern Ogaden has lower human densities and extensive areas where the natural flora and fauna appear to be largely intact. Dibatag inhabit semi-arid, dense to scattered bush, low- to medium-height thornbush savanna and plains with thicket/grassland mosaics. They prefer sandy to moderately gravelled, ferrous oxide rich red soils, characterized by numerous termite mounds (Wilhelmi, in press).

Their altitudinal range is approximately 200 to 1,200 m (Yalden et al. 1986). Above information collected from: Heckel, J.-O., Wilhelmi, F., Kaariye, X.Y. & Amir, O.G. 2008. Ammodorcas clarkei. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. < Downloaded on 28 January 2012. Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra A blackbuck in central India Location: Mahavir Harini Vanasthali National Park, Hyderabad, 2009 Source: The Blackbuck is included here as it belongs to the same genus as the african antelopes. The blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, is an antelope species native to the Indian subcontinent that has been classified as near threatened by IUCN since 2003, as the blackbuck range has decreased sharply during the 20th century. The blackbuck is the only living species of the genus Antilope.

Its generic name 'Antilope' stems from the Latin word antalopus, a horned animal. Blackbuck pronking Photo: BBC Natural History Unit, Audio: Films@59 Males and females have distinctive coloration. Male blackbucks are black and white and have long twisted horns, while females are fawn coloured with no horns. Body Length: 100150 cm (3.34.9 ft), Shoulder Height: 6085 cm (2.02.79 ft) Tail Length: 1017 cm (3.96.7 in), Weight: 2535 kg (5577 lb)[6] The horns of the blackbuck are ringed with 1 to 4 spiral turns, rarely more than 4 turns, and can be as long as 79 cm (31 in). A trophy blackbuck is greater than 46 cm (18 in). In the male, the upper body is black (dark brown), and the belly and eye rings are white. The light-brown female is usually hornless.

Source: no picture found It was formerly treated as a subspecies of the well-known Thomson's Gazelle . Mongalla Gazelles inhabit the flood plains and flat savanna grasslands in southeast Sudan, east of the Nile, but not reaching the Ugandan and Kenyan borders. They have been recorded from the Omo region in south-west Ethiopia, but there is no recent information on its occurrence in this country East (1999) guessed that the total population of Mongola Gazelle could number 100,000, but numbers are known to fluctuate substantially in this area and the central parts of its range are particularly inaccessible. An aerial survey carried out by WCS in 2007 produced a population estimate for part of South Sudan of 278,000 (Fay et al. 2007). The Mongalla gazelle inhabits floodplain and savanna grasslands in Sudan (East 1999). This gazelle is adapted to following a nomadic annual cycle over the eastern Sudd floodplains, an ecologically peculiar region where extensive floods are followed by extreme aridity (Hashim in press).

During the wet season, the Mongalla Gazelle aggregates in high population densities with other migratory species such as White-eared Kob and Tiang (Hillman and Fryxell 1988). Source: IUCN SSC Antelope Specialist Group 2008. Eudorcas albonotata. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. < Downloaded on 28 January 2012. Red-fronted Gazelle Eudorcas rufrifrons The Red-fronted gazelle, Eudorcas rufifrons, is a species of gazelle that is widely but unevenly distributed across the middle Africa from Senegal to north-eastern Ethiopia. It is mainly resident in the Sahel zone, a narrow cross-Africa band south of the Sahara, where it prefers arid grasslands, wooded savannas and shrubby steppes. Some authorities (e.g. Kingdon 1997) consider that Thomson's gazelle, Eudorcas thomsoni , of East Africa, is a subspecies of Red-fronted gazelle.

The red-fronted gazelle was formerly considered a member of the genus Gazella within the subgenus Eudorcas before Eudorcas was elevated to genus status. Klipspringer, Oreotragus oreotragus © (not active as per Sept.2010) Cuvier's Gazelle, Gazella cuvieri A Cuvier's Gazelle at the San Diego Zoo in San Diego, California Source: Cuvier's Gazelle, Gazella cuvieri, is a species of gazelle found in Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. It is also known as the Edmi. It is one of the darkest species of gazelle in coloring, due to its partial woodland habitat. It is sometimes placed in a separate genus, Trachelocele, from other gazelles, together with Goitered gazelles and Rhim Gazelles. It is very rare in wild with only 2000 individuals Gerenuk, Litocranius walleri Gerenuk, Litocranius walleri Photographer: William M.

Ciesla, The Gerenuk, Litocranius walleri, also known as the Waller's Gazelle, is a long-necked species of antelope found in dry bushy scrub and steppe in East Africa, from Somalia and eastern Ethiopia through northern and eastern Kenya to northeastern Tanzania. The word Gerenuk (pronounced with a hard g) comes from the Somali language, meaning giraffe-necked. Gerenuk are sometimes also called the Giraffe-necked Antelope. It is the only member of the genus Litocranius. Adult male gerenuk, Litocranius walleri walleri, August 2001 © Copyright Brent Huffman, 2001 Gerenuks have a small head for their body, but their eyes and ears are big. Unlike females, males have horns and a more muscular neck. They are brown on their back, and lighter underneath. They have short, black tails. From head to tail, the gerenuk is around 150 cm long. Males are a little taller than females, ranging from 89-105 cm, and the females are 80-100 cm.

The male is also heavier than the female, weighing at 45 kg, and females are 30 kg. Gerenuks, Litocranius walleri, in the Samburu National Park - Kenya Source: Gerenuks (Litocranius walleri) in the Samburu National Park - Kenya Gerenuks eat food from higher places than most other gazelles and antelopes. They do this by standing up on their hind legs, and stretching out their long necks to get food off of tall bushes or small trees. Most of their diet is made up of leaves and shoots of shrubs and trees, but also includes buds, flowers, fruit, and herbaceous plants . Gerenuks do not appear to drink water; they get enough water from the plants they eat. Because of this, they can survive in very dry habitats.

Dama Gazelle Nanger dama Dama Gazelle Nanger dama The Dama Gazelle, Nanger dama, is following the same trail into extinction in the wild as the Scimitar-horned Oryx , Oryx dammah, Status justification: The sustained decline due to uncontrolled hunting and habitat loss has continued and is now estimated to have exceeded 80% over 10 years. Extensive field surveys have been made since 2001, but all subpopulations encountered are very small, with all at risk from unmanaged large-scale hunting, and the total population certainly numbers well less than 500 individuals. Decline is expected to continue based on ongoing hunting and unpredictable arrival of large hunting parties with high destructive potential from the Gulf states. Dama Gazelle are present in captivity, but the number of founders is limited. Animals from Almeria breeding facility in Spain were introduced to an enclosure (Rmila Royal Reserve) in Morocco (130 present in 2007) and gazelles from München Zoo (originally bred at Almeria) were released into an enclosure in Souss-Massa N.P.

(12 animals in 2006); these semi-captives are intended to form part of a reintroduction programme in Morocco. All of the animals from Almeria stock originate from Western Sahara. Elsewhere, Dama Gazelle were released into the 2,000-ha Bou-Hedma N.P. in Tunisia in the early 1990s where around 17 were present in 2006; gazelles have also been reintroduced to Guembeul Faunal Reserve in Senegal and a reintroduction programme in Ferlo North Reserve is underway (7 animals). Source: UICN Press Release - 06 February 2009 - One fourth of antelope species are threatened with extinction in the world Saiga, Saiga tatarica Brandy for Breakfast | Mt. Kenya Wildlife Conservancy The Story of an African Caracal Cat By Iris Hunt When I think of Brandy it is of a reddish golden color of soft clean warm fur, a subtle purr and the luxury of unconditional love and confidence.

On a beautiful morning in March, the 15th to be precise – 2007; Peter Fundi called from the animal orphanage: “Mama Duma, the big Caracal Mama has two kittens, please come.” I found our young female African lynx at the orphanage with two minute furry copies. Her record as a mother had been disastrous the first time. Almost before our eyes, she had eaten both her young before we could rescue them. Nobody knows for sure if this happens in the wild. Very little is known about the African Lynx in the bush at all. Shy and elusive these magnificent cats move mostly at night. They frequently change “dens,” especially when young are involved. This time we watched the nervous mother with binoculars from a distance giving her ultimate privacy to minimize any stress, but ready to interfere if she attempted to hurt the young. By mid morning she had carried away one kitten to a new location. We observed anxiously, hoping that she would collect her second kitten as well but in the next 48 hours she did not come back for it. While she nurtured the favorite the second kitten was left cold and uncared for in the spot it had been dropped at birth.

Together with Don and Fundi we made the decision: The abandoned kitten had to be taken away in order to survive. And so, overnight, I suddenly found myself back in the baby business. Bob Zmuda of Comic Relief fame – The HBO telethon Charity show; happened to be visiting us at the Orphanage and was with me when I went in to the enclosure to relieve the caracal mother of her neglected baby. I quickly handed the tiny bundle of fur to Bob to hold. It gave me time to do a quick check on the other favored kitten that was with “mom” huddled on the other side of the pen. The mother did not take kindly to such an attempt to interfere with her chosen one. While she had completely forgotten her second born she defended her precious one fiercely. Brandy at age 10 days Brandy at age 3 weeks, in a shoe The thought did occur to me that I could probably switch them if need be. I wanted to establish the sex of the kittens in order to make sure we saved a female if there were a choice. I hastily grabbed the warm kitten from behind the snarling mother while we kept her occupied with a bone. Immediately the lively young started screeching.

It was a male. I hurried to return it to the mother who has started to panic and was ready to kill the “catnapper” (me). In a flash she came flying to the spot I had just vacated as I slammed the door from the den behind me. I took the near-lifeless, already cold little kitten home, holding it close to my body for the warmth it badly needed. I started it on a little warm milk from an eye dropper and much to my relief he took it without a fight. This I repeated every two hours so that the new unusual food could be digested slowly and would not cause the system too much of a shock. The main concern of course was that more than likely the kitten had received no nourishment at all from the mother since birth, depriving it of the much needed colostrums so necessary to protect the young from any diseases in infancy. I could have done with a little “brandy for breakfast” myself for all those sleepless nights. Brandy hiding behind a rock Eventually the listless little tyke came to life, suddenly as if reborn. The first thing he did was hiss at me even though his eyes were still closed.

A few days later when he did open his eyes the hiss became a snarl. As if he was horrified: “A human mother with yellow hair!!” Finally, nature stirred the little creature to accept his only chance for survival. The rufus little bundle of fur accepted its fate and sealed the deal with a lick to my face. When he passed her first stool successfully I felt he had been given a chance at life and I named him “Brandy.” There had been another Brandy in my life… Many years before, the first, rescued from poachers in Somalia, was forcefully smuggled aboard a banana boat in my basket when we were evacuated from Somalia in what seems ages ago. She was so small that I could not leave her behind. William “Bill” Holden joined us on safari in Somalia, here capturing the rare and endangered Somali wild ass. At the time we had also loaded crates containing some rare animals we had gathered to form survival groups: Rare Dibatag Antelope , Speke’s Gazelle , Soemmerring’s Gazelle , Guenther’s Dik Dik and a few rescued formerly mistreated wild animals.

All were destined for our Game Ranch back in Kenya when a sudden border dispute made it impossible for us to transport the animals to safety. Somalia was getting more unstable by the day. When air traffic ceased altogether we took the hint and hitched a ride on a Banana boat bound for Naples, Italy. Reluctantly, but sufficiently “motivated,” the portly Italian Captain agreed to let his boat double as a little Noah’s Ark in the name of conservation. We hurriedly cabled Dr. Franco Cunio of the Naples Zoo , an old friend and supporter of our work. He agreed to give a new home to the animals at sea. The Banana boat did not dock, rather the crates of Bananas were ferried out to sea on an unstable barge and then lifted by crane into the sea going vessel. Don Hunt feeding his dibatag before shipment While Don was busy dealing with the authorities to put their stamp on the various documents required for legal translocation of the animals, I raced around the surrounding countryside to line up what little fodder I could find in the parched Somali desert. We needed food for a 21 day journey for the 27 animals we planned to take along.

Brandy the little baby lynx came along everywhere, strapped to me mostly. There was no time to waste. The boat was sailing in two days – with or without us. Loading of the animals in their crates was scheduled for the last day, after the Bananas had been hoisted onto the boat, stashed below, and the holds closed. That day the usually balmy calm of the Indian Ocean turned unruly as dark storm clouds gathered. I will never forget the agonizing moments as each crate waved uncontrolled in the air between the barge and the Banana boat, only held by the uncertain ropes dangling from the boat’s own crane. As the vessel rolled in the rough seas the arm of the crane bobbed up and down and even the heavier crates became three dimensional swings fluttering like paper in the wind. The rare dibatag antelope – cousins of the Gerenuk My heart stood still every time a crate landed with such a thump on the boat. We were certain there had to be broken legs or worse. Don and I were lifted aboard last. Immediately the ships engines were started, the ships horn sounded and our journey began with a very difficult first day.

It was late night by the time we had checked, fed, watered and cared for all the animals in their crates. Luckily none were for the worse physically. All seemed exhausted from the stress of such an undertaking and the rocking of the boat soon lulled them to sleep for a much needed rest. Brandy the Lynx was, of course, installed in our cabin and soon made herself at home there. She delighted in the new playground where you could slide from one end of the small cabin to the other on the polished wooden floor and then back again as the boat rolled the other way. When the weather calmed towards dawn, all of us were fast asleep and finally on the way to the safety of Italy, although in the wrong direction geographically! I had only been able to bring a little milk and meat for Brandy. With my limited knowledge of the Italian language I set off, clutching the tiny beautiful Lynx, to go beg her food from the ship’s Italian cook. Whether he was an animal lover or not, Brandy could melt anyone’s heart, I was sure. Don and “Fatuma,” a rare dibatag that he rescued and raised Mama mia… and how it worked!

Soon the captain’s own special filet steak was ground up (without his knowledge of course) and Brandy lived like a queen. While the kitten thrived to everyone’s delight, there were other unusual activities going on – also without the Captain’s knowledge! We had made friends with the ship’s First Officer who could speak a little English. He allowed us to build some makeshift pens so that we could routinely exercise the animals out of their crates as long as the ocean was calm. But the food I had gathered in a hurry proved not enough for all, nor of sufficient variety. But wait… this was a banana boat! Banana skins have a very high nutritional value, and most animals like them. So, in cahoots with the first officer, we made sure the Captain had plenty of vino at Dinner and as soon as he retired the first Officer led us to the closest hold we could raid for bananas. Night after night we hauled crates of them up on deck and peeled the fruits, discarded the bananas into the ocean, and fed the skins to the grateful hungry animals. Soon the crew joined in helping us and everyone except the drunken Captain knew of our thievery in the night.

Finally on arrival in Sicily where most of the bananas were to be offloaded the Captain discovered a huge shortage. “Bastards” he said, You can’t trust these Sicilians!” Right, he was from the north, Brindisi, where people were honorable. The 3 thieves agreed hastily. Brandi play-bit the Mogadishu Police Commander. He did not arrest her! In the end all our animals reached the port of Naples in top condition. The banana skins had done their magic. Even Brandy had grown a lot in the 21 days we were at sea, thanks to the Captain’s steak. Dr. Franco Cunio greeted us at the dockside to enthusiastically receive the small collection of unique animals he would host for a while. He cooed over the rare Dibitag and lively Gazelles . But Brandy stole his heart at once and he said he would foster her until we could make arrangements to fly her to Kenya. I felt safe leaving Brandy in his qualified care for a while. Unfortunately soon after we had left Naples he informed us that, despite all the best care at his own home, Brandy had been found dead of unknown cause one morning. I was heart broken.

A year later mutual friends told us that the famed Dr. Cunio was these days always seen in the company of a beautiful young strong adult African Lynx that followed him everywhere. The Lynx, they said, was called Brandy. I did not have the heart to call him on his white lie. After all, hadn’t we stolen more than 100 crates of Bananas for the love of some animals? It was good enough that my little lynx had found such a happy home. Once the Four-Hourly Feeds Became Routine … and the eye dropper had been exchanged for a small nipple on a doll bottle, Brandy II was growing fast. Brandy discovers her neighbors, rare Suni Antelope He recognized my voice instantly and became lively whenever I was around. The moment I left the room, he would crawl back to his basket and onto the hot water bottle where he fell instantly asleep. There must have been instant “growing periods” when I wasn’t looking, it seemed he was bigger every time I picked him up. With each bottle he seemed to grow stronger and more energetic. Soon I had to find him a “buddy” to snuggle up to. There were choices.

Jack Hanna , when he last visited us, had left behind a suitcase full of stuffed toy animals for the less privileged children that often visit the Animal Orphanage. I had greedily kept behind a few of those toys, just for cases like this. At first it was the stuffed hyena that Brandy fancied. Something about the spots seemed to fascinate him. But that love soon gave way to the black seal – that was the toy that the kitten found most accommodating for wrestling matches and simulated attacks. The seal could be killed over and over. But the one toy that finally won Brandy’s heart was the furry monkey. He became the “doll” in his fantasy. Like a child he seems to see the toy as a live creature. There are periods of play and periods of nurturing when he will thoroughly “groom” the monkey and lovingly cuddle up to him. Brandy does not like to be left alone… whether it is a short while or longer, we are always greeted with great enthusiasm and even tail wagging!! Indeed this cat wags his tail like a dog whenever he is very happy, much to our delight. The he tears off down the hallway and disappears, a signal that he wishes to be chased.

He can hide himself without a trace and often will only reveal his location when called. Tail wagging, he will come scampering out at the sound of his name. All very un-cat-like! Brandy delights in “riding” the hyena! Brandy, for now has his own garden that he can access through a small gated hole in the wall. He loves exploring the outdoors, but instinct forbids him to venture far unless I stand guard to protect the young life against dangers such as predator bird. We are fascinated in watching this little wild predator grow up before our eyes. Never have I learned so much about an animal without actually observing it in the wild. Caracal cats have rarely been studied and are almost never seen in the wild by the casual visitor. Most are strictly nocturnal (except in very cool regions). They are shy and elusive and move their quarters almost nightly. Adults live as solitary animals and meet only for mating. A mother will nurture her young for up to but no more than one year, at which time they become adults and will start living on their own.

Brandy plays catch The name “Caracal” came from the Turkish word “karakulak” meaning “black ear.” One source states that the Caracal was once “tamed and trained for bird hunting” in the Middle East and India! Brandy is proof that you’d hardly need to train a caracal for any kind of hunting. His body and legs are beginning to take on a slender shape, with the hind legs noticeably longer than the front legs. This, as he demonstrates to us daily, comes in handy for giant leaps up into the air. Later she will utilize these leaps to jump up to 10 feet to catch even large birds that have just become airborne after the cat’s chase. Caracals are the largest of the small cats. They are intelligent efficient hunters and the fastest runners of all the smaller cats as well. They are agile tree climbers but only do so to escape danger or hide a kill, in the same manner as a leopard. When we watch Brandy, he does indeed remind us of a leopard . He has begun to walk the typical leopard walk.

His front legs still un-proportionally large for his slender frame, almost bent outward at the shoulder, head held low, his body takes on an upward slope caused by the longer back legs. The tufted black ears are equipped with a number of special muscles to enable them to move separately in every direction to detect minute noises and movement, they seem in constant motion as he concentrates. His paws though are the most fascinating tools. In play I get plenty of opportunity to examine their function. They are perfect tools for life in the bush. From velvety tubby soft paws that enable him to move silently they can suddenly extend to double their size. With claws extended they are strong and can injure badly, and their grip becomes iron clad. And yet, with claws withdrawn the paw serves as a touching tool for everything new. With the claws only lightly extended they become “magnets” for anything porous he wants to pick up. Brandy can hold and caress his monkey toy friend lovingly. Even I have learned to trust his touching my face with those lethal weapons – turned gentle touch! Brandy exhausted from play. Catnaps are many, and may take any position.

There will of course come a time in his life when he will have to fight for his survival. Without a mother to teach him, instinct already directs him to exercise those powers by fiercely defending a favorite treat such as a chewing bone. Suddenly our cuddly kitten turns into a nightmare of an attack cat. She snarls and growls and threatens attack, so much that we have joked of getting her counseling for “anger management.” But the reality is that this is a wild animal and his natural behavior demonstrates that no one should mistake him for a “pet.” Brandy is only 3 months old now. Already he has demonstrated that he can and will make it in the wild, even without a mother “teaching” him how to hunt or survive. We plan to let him grow up in the relative safety of our own immediate surroundings but at the same time let him fully develop his instinct. All that’s left for the missing mother to teach would be how to find the prey and when to kill. I am confident that his very healthy appetite will direct his brain to work that out as well when the time comes that we begin to feed him less.

Right now, and for some time he will need the balanced diet and supplements we supply to make that body strong enough to take on the challenges that await him down the road. Brandy’s brother that was left with the mother did survive. She continues to raise him and both are now calm. He has grown strong and is already considerably heavier than Brandy. Remember when we rescued Brandy I took a minute to sex the kittens? Proud “Mom” and Brandy at three months – and growing!! You may have guessed: our Brandy of course is a girl!!! That is why it became so important to save her life as a future breeder. But with “her” frisky mischievous and prankish behavior, and particularly “her” strength and bravery, we automatically referred to Brandy as “he” and it stuck! But she can also be highly intelligent, gentle, cunning but caring and she has a great sense of survival, so she’s a doll after all….

Question: What type of animal is a dibitag
Answer: Antelope